I couldn't resist putting out the second chapter of this story, but I'll have to slow down after that because I only have about five chapters written, and I don't want to leave my readers hanging after those. What do you think of the story so far? Good? Not too dark yet, I know, but it gets there.
If any of my readers here have been following my other Zelda fic, The Triforce United, I apologize but I have to slow down on that one too, because I still have another section or two to write and I'm facing a major writer's blockade. So be patient with me please.
On with this fic. Please review.
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Shadow
I was never a timid child. I ghosted about castle corridors alone and peered into cold, silent places. I walked among gravestones in the palace cemetaries. I stood in pitch blackness and was not afraid- shadow, Impa told me, answered to her. It would not dare touch her own charge.
But the nightmares terrified me. This was a cause of grave distress for me, because I did not know fear. Not until the nightmares began. Night after night Impa would sing me to sleep, same as she had done for years, and night after night the dreams would come to me, unbidden.
They bore different images, but always the same message- a shadow was about to befall Hyrule, a shadow that even Impa could not keep away.
The shadow was a great, dark man astride a great, dark horse.
At first, I kept the dreams to myself. Then, just shortly after my tenth birthday, I met the man of shadow.
His name was Ganondorf Dragmire. He was the king of the Gerudo, those wild, law-breaking band of women who lived in the deserts of the west. The Gerudo always operated ruled by no one but themselves, obeying no laws but those of their own invention, and made their living by stealing from and terrorizing good, law-abiding folk. The Gerudo were sisters to rats and snakes; everyone knew that.
But they still made plenty of trouble for the Hylian Kingdom. And so, when Ganondorf came to make peace, my father was delighted. He saw it as an end to his troubles; I saw it as an allegiance with the man who would bring about the destruction of Hyrule. For I was sure that my dreams were prophetic, and determined to do something about them.
Only once did I try to explain this to my father, but he dismissed the prophecies as normal childhood nightmares. So I explained it to Impa.
"I have never once seen that man until now, yet I began to dream of him months ago!"
"Are you sure he is the dark man you saw in your dreams?"
"Yes! Just look at him, Impa! He's evil! He's a filthy Gerudo-" At that moment, Impa's eyes caught mine, and held them. I swallowed hard. "I-I-Impa..."
"You defend me, princess," Impa said, slowly and painstakingly. "You defend my people. But when you insult another race -of whom you know nothing but gossip and rumor- you insult me and my people. Why would you defend us, only to condemn others? I did not raise you to be ignorant."
"Impa..." In my mind's eye then I saw myself- a stupid, gabbing girl no different than the gossips who insulted my beloved nursemaid. I saw myself as everything I had strived never to be, and burned with shame.
"Listen to me, Zelda," Impa said, not unkindly. "This treaty with the Gerudo will not last- indeed, I doubt that it will ever occur. Your father is a good man, but a weak leader. He has barely succeeded in ruling his own kingdom. If Hyrule is to survive the perils ahead, its people must unite. Hylians, Zoras, Gorons, Kokiri, and even Gerudo must come together, as one. Your father will never achieve this unification.
"But you, Zelda, have already shown the qualities of a strong leader. Intelligence, integrity, courage. Kindness, as well as the knowledge of when kindness should not be shown. And I believe, after today, you will have gained some wisdom- the wisdom to know that no group of people should ever be judged as a whole. Remember that, Zelda, and you will one day be the greatest queen in the history of Hyrule."
Impa's words struck a chord in me, touched me in a way that left me breathless. I took her words to heart as I heard them, and never, ever forgot them.
"Now," Impa said, "tell me about your dreams."
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The day that Ganondorf was greeted in person by my father was the day I met the other figure from my dream. The boy of light.
I milled anxiously in the courtyard adjacent to the palace's throne room. It was the best place for a young princess who wanted to spy but not be seen. A small window allowed me to peer within the throne room and see all that was happening, but I sincerely doubted that anyone, even Ganondorf, would look my way.
Impa was nowhere to be seen. I knew she was around, though, keeping an eye on me. She never left me alone longer than she could help. Perhaps that was why I found it so surprising when, after spying for a quarter of an hour with no sign of Ganondorf, I turned impatiently from the window and saw a golden-haired boy standing in my courtyard.
I made a choked little sound of shock, but quickly composed myself. "Who are you?" I demanded.
"Link," the boy replied, but I was already seeing him...I was already seeing beyond him.
I was seeing images from my dreams, images of a small, golden-haired boy with eyes the color of sky, accompanied by a white fairy, as this boy was. He was always carrying a great, shining emerald as well...
"Is that a real fairy?" I demanded breathlessly of the boy, not giving him a chance to reply as I went on. "Are you from the forest? You must be, I dreamed about you just last night! The Spiritual Stone of Forest...you have it, don't you? Tell me you have it!"
Impa always said I was a bit too energetic for my own good.
The boy looked stricken at the many questions I had thrown at him, but he quickly got over it. "You don't mean this, do you?" he asked in that careless way young boys have, though his eyes were so grave...as he pulled out the stone itself.
"That is it," I said faintly, feeling as though I might crumple to the flagstones in a heap at any moment. Here every important aspect of my dreams, the dreams I knew were prohetic, were coming true- the appearance of Ganondorf, followed by this boy, Link, who possessed a Spiritual Stone.
"Link." My lips curved into a shy smile. "I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. I have dreamt of you."
Those blue eyes stared at me. "I..." he said softly. "I have dreamt of you, too."
I closed my eyes happily. "Then our meeting is destiny! Just as I thought!" My eyes flew open. "Link, you know of the Triforce, do you not?"
"Yes."
"And you know that it is sealed away safely in the Sacred Realm?"
"Yes," said he.
"But, Link..." I lowered my voice dramatically. "Do you know where the door to the Sacred Realm is?"
He shook his head. "I don't-"
"It's in the Temple of Time, Link. The Sacred Realm is sealed by the Door of Time, to be opened only by the three Spiritual Stones, and the Ocarina of Time!" Without pausing for breath, I added, "Look in the window, won't you, Link?"
I stood aside, and Link merely stared at me for a few moments. He was a boy of few words, as I was beginning to realize. But then he approached the window and peered into the throne room. I watched him carefully, waiting for his reaction- Ganondorf should have arrived at the throne room by now. A moment or two passed, and then the boy's eyes widened and he stumbled back in shock.
"What is it?" I asked with concern. "Did he see you?"
Link gulped and nodded.
"Don't worry," I said with confidence. "There's nothing he can do to us- not now. But listen, Link, there's something I must ask you to do."
"What is it?" asked my young hero.
"I know you did not come across that Spiritual Stone just by accident. You must know that danger is befalling Hyrule. You don't want to see your homeland die, do you? No one does. No one except for him." I gestured savagely toward the window. "He wants to conquer this land, Link, I just know it. I believe the Triforce is in danger. If Ganondorf were to find the Spiritual Stones and the Ocarina of Time, he would have all he needs to enter the Sacred Realm-"
"Wait a minute," Link interrupted me. "How do you know that Ganondorf wants the Triforce?"
I hesitated. "I-I can't explain it. I just- I just know, that's all." I took a deep breath. "The Ocarina of Time is safe. I have it in my possession. However...I need to be assured that the other two Spiritual Stones are safe. Will you find them and bring them back to me, Link?"
He agreed, and I was filled with relief. "Thank you very much. Here." I dug around in my pockets for a spare piece of parchment and a quill, then quickly scribbled a note and signed it in my own flowing scrawl. "Show this to anyone who bars your way in your quest." I looked up and caught sight of Impa standing at the entrance to the courtyard, staring at us, and smiled to let her know that everything was fine. "That's my handmaiden," I said, pointing. "She'll guide you out of the castle so that you won't get in trouble. Don't be afraid of her."
Link did look a bit apprehensive at the prospect of being guided by such a hard-looking woman, but he said his farewells to me and left the courtyard with Impa, his fairy trailing behind.
"Farewell," I whispered. "And good luck."
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Continued in Chapter 3: Promise